6.  The applicant was born in 1976 and lives in Kurgan, the Kurgan region. He is currently serving a prison sentence in the Kurgan region.
7.  On 15 November 2001 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of murder of a certain S. and was placed in detention.
8.  On 5 February 2002 the Kurgan Town Court, Kurgan Region (“the trial court”) held a trial in the applicant’s case. The applicant confessed to the murder in part. He submitted that during a quarrel with S. the latter had threatened him with an axe and he (the applicant) had stabbed him several times with a knife in order to defend himself. The Town Court found the applicant guilty of premeditated murder under Article 105 § 1 of the Criminal Code (see “Relevant domestic law and practice” below, paragraph 22) and sentenced him to eleven years and three months’ imprisonment. On 5 March 2002 the Kurgan Regional Court (“the appeal court”) quashed that judgment and remitted the case for fresh examination to the trial court having found, in particular, that the latter had not established whether the victim had had an axe in his hands during the quarrel. On the same date the Regional Court remanded the applicant in custody. The applicant was neither present nor represented by a lawyer at the appeal hearing.
9.  On an unspecified date the applicant was additionally charged with several counts of theft. A certain Sch. was charged with concealment of the murder of S. Criminal proceedings against Sch. were joined to those against the applicant.
10.  On 22 March 2002 the trial court started the examination of both charges against the applicant and the charges against Sch. At the beginning of the hearing the applicant submitted that he had refused assistance from legal aid counsel and that his refusal was not linked to his financial situation. Lawyer M., who had been provided to the applicant, left the courtroom.
11.  The applicant pleaded guilty to theft. As regards the charges of murder, he submitted that he had committed the murder in self-defence because during their quarrel S. had threatened him with an axe. The trial court heard the applicant and his co-accused, the mother of S. and several witnesses including witness K. During the questioning of K. the court rebuked the applicant twice for contempt of court and finally, at the prosecutor’s request, removed the applicant from the hearing for putting pressure on the witnesses. The applicant was absent until the end of the hearing of 22 March 2002. In his absence the trial court continued to hear witness K. and heard witness B. According to the applicant, on 22 March 2002 the trial court also ordered to remove from the hearing everybody except for the victims, their representative, witnesses and his co-accused. The examination of the case continued on 25 March 2002 in the applicant’s presence. The trial court heard seven more witnesses and an expert.
12.  On 26 March 2002 the trial court found the applicant guilty of theft and premeditated murder and sentenced him to twelve years’ imprisonment. Having regard to the statements by the witnesses, it found, in particular, that S. had had no axe in his hands at the moment of his murder, and, therefore, the applicant’s version of self-defence had been unfounded. It also held that the applicant’s balance of mind had not been disturbed at the moment of the murder. Sch. was found guilty of concealment of murder and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.
13.  The judgment stated that the applicant could lodge an appeal against it within seven days of the date he received its copy. The record of the hearing stated that the time-limits and the procedure for appealing against the judgment had been explained [to the parties].
14.  On an unspecified date the applicant lodged his remarks on the record of the hearings of 22 and 25 March 2002 with the trial court. He submitted that the record of the hearing had not mentioned exactly when he had returned to the hearing. He also complained that he had not been given the opportunity to read the record of the questioning of witnesses which had taken place in his absence.
15.  On 10 June 2002 the trial court admitted the applicant’s remarks to the file. It also found that the applicant had returned to the hearing at 10 a.m. on 25 March 2002, that the testimony given in his absence had been read out to him and that he had been offered the opportunity to question witnesses K. and B., which he had refused. The trial court ordered that the record of the hearings be amended accordingly.
16.  The applicant, but not Sch., appealed against the judgment of 26 March 2002. He argued in the first place that the trial court’s conclusion that S. had no axe in his hands had been inconsistent with the facts of the case and the evidence submitted in the trial. His actions should have been re‑characterised as a murder committed as a result of exceeding the limits of necessary defence under Article 108 of the Criminal Code (see “Relevant domestic law and practice” below, paragraph 23), because S. had threatened him with an axe. He further submitted that the trial court had wrongly applied to him a rule on repetition of crimes, which had resulted in a heavier sentence. Finally, he complained that two women had been removed from the hearing of 22 March 2002. In his additional grounds of appeal the applicant submitted that the trial court had removed from the hearing people who had come to support him and left only the relatives and friends of the victims. He requested the appeal court to quash his conviction of premeditated murder and adopt a new judgment. When lodging his appeal the applicant did not expressly state that he wished to take part in the appeal hearing.
17.  On 27 June 2002 the applicant received a notification that the appeal hearing would be held on 1 July 2002. The notification stated that personal appearance at that hearing was not obligatory.
18.  On 1 July 2002 the appeal court held a hearing in the applicant’s absence. The applicant was not represented at that hearing. The appeal court heard the mother of S. and her representative, who considered that the applicant should be convicted of murder, committed with particular cruelty, and a more severe penalty should be imposed. They asked for the judgment to be quashed and the case remitted for fresh consideration to the trial court. The appeal court also heard the prosecutor.
19.  Having studied the materials of the case, the appeal court found, in particular, that the trial court had rightly concluded on the basis of evidence and witnesses’ testimony that S. had no axe and had not represented a serious danger to the applicant. It further confirmed the trial court’s conclusion that the applicant’s balance of mind had not been disturbed when he had committed the murder. The appeal court concluded that the trial court had correctly characterised the applicant’s actions as premeditated murder and had imposed an appropriate sentence. On the same date it upheld the judgment of 26 March 2002 in its totality.
20.  It does not appear from the decision of 1 July 2002 that the appeal court verified whether the applicant had been duly informed of the hearing and of the procedure to follow to take part in it, and whether he had expressed a wish to take part in it.